Picture this: It’s 2018, and I’m at a bar with my friend Dave, who’s a die-hard Jets fan. He’s staring at the TV, muttering, “Wait, that guy is our quarterback now?” as Josh McCown takes the field. I looked it up on my phone and just started laughing. “Dave,” I said, “this is his tenth team.”
That moment stuck with me. I realized that Josh McCown isn’t just a football player—he’s a living map of the entire NFL. So, how many teams did he actually play for? The answer is twelve—yes, twelve—and he did it over 17 seasons.
The Starting Lineup (Or, How to Pack a Suitcase)
Let’s break it down in order, because your brain will thank you later. McCown’s journey started in 2002 with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals drafted him in the third round—back when they were still the “maybe they’ll be good someday” team.
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Then came the Detroit Lions in 2004, where he played exactly one game. One. You could blink and miss it. He bounced to the Oakland Raiders in 2007, then the Miami Dolphins in 2008—where he actually had a decent start, but we all know the Dolphins were a mess back then.
By 2009, he was with the Carolina Panthers. That’s where he famously took a photo with his son after a win, looking like a confused dad at a school play. You can’t make this up.
The “Wait, Again?” Phase
After the Panthers, he hit the San Francisco 49ers in 2010 for a cup of coffee. Then the Chicago Bears in 2011. Oh, the Bears—that’s where he earned the nickname “Moxie McCown” for throwing passes while getting sandwiched by linebackers.
From Chicago, he went to the Cleveland Browns in 2015. And here’s the ironic part: in Cleveland, McCown actually looked good. He threw for 2,109 yards in 8 games. But the Browns being the Browns, he got hurt. Again.
Josh Mccown
Then came the Denver Broncos in 2016, where he backed up Trevor Siemian. Yes, Trevor Siemian. If you remember that name, you’ve earned your NFL nerd badge.
The “Should I Retire?” Tour
In 2017, McCown signed with the New York Jets. This is where my friend Dave almost spilled his drink. McCown started 13 games, threw for 2,926 yards, and had a 67.3% completion rate—his best since 2013. For a guy on his ninth team, that’s insane.
But wait, it gets better. After the Jets, he went to the Oakland Raiders again in 2018—wait, no, that was wrong. Actually, he went to the Miami Dolphins again in 2019 as a backup. Then, for the finale, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020. That’s team number eleven.
Oh, and don’t forget the Houston Texans in 2021. Yes, I said twelve. McCown actually signed with Houston as a player-coach—until he retired for good. Which team did we miss? Let me check my notes: Kansas City? No. Dallas? No. What about… ah, right: the Chicago Bears were already counted. So for the record: Arizona, Detroit, Oakland (twice technically), Miami (twice), Carolina, San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, New York Jets, Philadelphia, and Houston. That’s 12 teams over 17 seasons.
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The Math of a Journey Man
Think about that: 12 teams means he had 11 different contracts. He played for 12 different offensive coordinators. He probably owns a custom GPS just for team facilities. McCown’s career total earnings? About $28 million. Not bad for a guy who was never a franchise quarterback—but it’s also not top-tier money for the chaos.
What’s wilder is his win-loss record: 23 wins, 40 losses. That’s a 36.5% win percentage. But somehow, he never got labeled a “bust.” He was always the “grizzled veteran who could hold the clipboard and still throw a spiral.”
Why We Care About This
Here’s the thing about McCown: he’s the ultimate antidote to the “all-or-nothing” NFL narrative. There’s a weird beauty in being the guy who shows up, does his job, and leaves without drama. He’s like the Swiss Army knife of quarterbacks—except every time you pull out a new tool, you realize it’s slightly rusted but still works.
And let’s be real: if you were a general manager in 2018, and you needed a guy who wouldn’t panic under pressure, you called McCown. He was the human version of duct tape for a broken roster. That’s a compliment.
So, next time you see a backup QB warming up on the sidelines, remember Josh McCown. He didn’t just play for 12 teams—he survived 12 teams. That takes a special kind of toughness, a weird love for packing bags, and possibly a contact that reads, “Free agency? I’m already there.”